Rahul Gandhi hits out at Centre ‘chest thumping’ on COVID global aid, calls it ‘pathetic’

Slamming Centre's 'chest thumping' on receiving foreign aid to help India amid the COVID crisis, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday said it was pathetic. Highlight government's failure, he said that if 'GOI had done its job, it wouldn't have come to this'. India has received financial aid from the EU and other countries - a first since 2004, which has been criticised by several Congress leaders.

Rahul Gandhi: 'Its pathetic'

EAM justifies foreign aid to India

In an exclusive interview with ANI, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar refuted the notion that India had changed its policy by accepting foreign aid amid the COVID-19 crisis. Maintaining that novel coronavirus is a shared problem for the entire world, he stated that India had helped other countries by sending medicines and vaccines and this support is now being reciprocated in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. Moreover, he asserted that there was nothing wrong with seeking help from foreign countries to help our people. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar remarked, "This is not an accurate way of projecting the situation because as I said COVID is a shared problem for the whole world. Last year, we gave medicines-hydroxychloroquine, paracetamol to the US, Singapore and European countries. We sent a medical team to Kuwait. We sent vaccines to some countries in the Gulf. We describe it as friendship or support." "As the Foreign Minister and someone heading a Ministry which has relationships around the world, I will do everything which I have accumulated over many years to help my people," he added.

India receives global aid

India has been offered aid from several countries like United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Germany,  Australia, Russia, Kuwait, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE, Dubai, Qatar, Switzerland Hong Kong, Thailand, Pakistan, United States and China promising oxygen concentrators, ventilators, liquid oxygen, PPEs, test kits, N95 masks, cryogenic Oxygen Containers. Moreover, US has lifted its ban on exporting raw materials needed to manufacture COVISHIELD doses and is backing India at the WTO for patent waiver on COVID vaccines. India has been reporting 4 lakh new cases daily on an average for the past week.

Currently, India is grappling with a second wave of COVID-19, with the infection hitting rural India too. The biggest issue has been the acute oxygen supply with Delhi being hit the worst - several hospitals have moved the High Court seeking oxygen supply. While the Centre and Delhi govt have blamed each other for the ongoing oxygen crisis in the national capital, Railways has started 'Oxygen Express'  to transport liquid oxygen to the states via green corridors.  SC has ordered the Centre to maintain a daily supply of 700 MT to Delhi and constituted a 12-member National Task Force of oxygen distribution. Meanwhile, India's vaccination drive has hit a roadblock due to shortage of supplies amid Centre allowing 18+ to be vaccinated. Most state governments placed lakhs of orders with the two vaccine manufacturers, but are yet to receive their orders.